Are you in a reading slump? Do you want something exciting and diverse to dive into? Well, you’ve come to the right place – I’ve created a manageable list of recommendations just for you!
If you prefer to read physical books, I have linked the titles of the below books to indie bookstores where you can purchase them (most of the bookstores are local to where the story takes place). If you like to save space and/or money, checking your local libraries – including through the free app Libby – is still a great way to support authors and show enthusiasm for their stories!
Here are a few newly released novels featuring LGBTQIA+ characters that I highly recommend you add to your to-read list, from modern rom-com to Regency romance!
Motheater – Linda Codega
This queer story set in Appalachia revolves around Motheater, a witch with a mysterious identity. For hundreds of years, the spirit of the local Kire Mountain has threatened the town of Kiron. Now, it is up to Motheater to make sense of where her loyalty lies: the mountains that have given her so much, or the people she cares deeply for. When she meets Bennie, a local woman who’s investigating the deaths of local miners, she gains a partner with whom she must choose between nature and industry.
Codega’s writing is resourceful and striking, and this feels like an especially relevant novel in that it explores the relationship between queerness or the “other” and something very American: a fierce protectiveness of their livelihoods. In this exquisitely written tale of what nature deserves versus the people who inhabit it, Codega makes a strong debut with Motheater.
I Think They Love You – Julian Winters
To kick off this fake-dating plot, Denzel “Denz” Carter’s CEO father suddenly announces his retirement. Trying to position himself as responsible and committed, Denz suddenly decides to tell everyone he has a serious boyfriend. Turning to the man who broke his heart doesn’t sound like a great idea, but he’s left without other options. Denz’s ex coming back into his life turns his world upside down, and as we all know and love in fake dating stories, the lines begin to blur between what’s part of a business deal and what’s real. This read contains dynamic characters, heartfelt family relationships, and a refreshing lack of toxic masculinity.
Even Beyond Death – Fiona Melrose
This historical novel tells the story of a marquis in France who is – a tale as old as time – supposed to be looking for a wife and producing an heir. However, he ends up falling for his Dutch valet, Jonathan. This forbidden love story, or “catalogue of desire”, pulls us dramatically into the mid 17th century.
Jehan has spies everywhere – including, of course, God – but he can’t help the magnetic pull he feels toward Jonathan. Although this story is inherently heartbreaking and full of ill-fated anticipation, Fiona Melrose crafts a tale worth reading. This is a story full of intrigue that lingers long after the last word.
Hungerstone – Kat Dunn
This novel dives into female desire and the horrors involved with being a woman at the height of the industrial revolution. In Hungerstone, Kat Dunn presents Carmilla in a new, seductive, feminist light, adding to the recent wave of vampire media. With recent entries including Nosferatu (2024), Interview With the Vampire (2022), Sinners (2025), and The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023),Dunn’s novel made fast friends with good undead company.
Dunn places our main character, Lenore, in a long, crumbling marriage. She then throws in the catalyst I have trouble believing we don’t all yearn for: the lesbian vampire. As the village girls fall ill, Carmilla turns Lenore’s life upside down. Lenore must decide whether she wants the affections of her husband or if she wants to pursue the stirring hunger awoken in her by this mysterious woman.
The Broposal – Sonora Reyes
One of the best things about more and more LGBTQIA+ books coming out is the amount of material that is dedicated to diversifying popular tropes. While “cliches” and “tropes” may sound like bad things, they’re simply types of stories that anyone can apply their perspective to.
Despite having read the “marriage of convenience” plotline dozens of times, especially in beloved fan fictions, The Broposal brought something fresh. Instead of another straight white couple, The Broposal follows a Latino man, Han, and his roommate Kenny, who is stuck in a horrible relationship. Han loses his work visa and asks Kenny to marry him, flinging the two into romantic encounters that totally don’t mean anything real… Right? Right?
A Gentleman’s Gentleman – T.J. Alexander
It’s the Regency era, and Lord Christopher Eden is a transgender nobleman who has to either find a wife or lose his title. He prefers spending time with those who have known him the longest, but when he hires a valet for publicity’s sake, he’s not expecting the handsome James to show up and make him reconsider everything.
Handling the material with grace, care, and plenty of research, Alexander’s story jumps off the pages. The interactions between Christopher and James are electric and snarky in this heartfelt tale of a trans historical story. Though it’s similar in concept to Even Beyond Death, this story gives the characters a delightful ending of joy.
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